The most important question ever asked - Think Atheist2015-03-31T21:34:12Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/the-most-important-question-ever-asked?commentId=1982180%3AComment%3A1262416&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI should have mentioned ITER…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-12:1982180:Comment:12724772013-03-12T07:05:04.086ZGallup's Mirrorhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GallupsMirror
<p>I should have mentioned <a href="http://www.iter.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ITER</a> earlier; a fusion reactor. A real one. It works. (Fusion I mean, not ITER. Not yet.)</p>
<p>You put a tiny little star inside an electromagnetic box. It's not like a steam boiler that turns a turbine to generate electricity. That little baby dumps oodles of raw electricity right into the wires hooked up to the box. No radiation. No waste. No meltdowns.</p>
<p>The problem? Right now it takes more…</p>
<p>I should have mentioned <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.iter.org/" target="_blank">ITER</a> earlier; a fusion reactor. A real one. It works. (Fusion I mean, not ITER. Not yet.)</p>
<p>You put a tiny little star inside an electromagnetic box. It's not like a steam boiler that turns a turbine to generate electricity. That little baby dumps oodles of raw electricity right into the wires hooked up to the box. No radiation. No waste. No meltdowns.</p>
<p>The problem? Right now it takes more energy to make the electromagnetic box work than you get from the little star inside it. But there seems to be an economy of scale. The bigger the electromagnetic box and star, the more energy you get; size matters. Make it big enough and you'll get a net energy output. Clean, safe, plentiful energy from a fusion reactor that works like the sun.</p>
<p>But the question is: how big? How do you make it work on a larger scale? It's a major scientific challenge. But the United States, European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, and South Korea decided it has enough promise to team up and collectivity fund ITER with a combined $12 billion.</p>
<p>So we really are working toward an abundant, non-polluting, and relatively cheap source of energy. It might take another fifty (or another hundred) years to become as commonplace as power plants that run on fossil fuels. Or, it may never work at all.</p>
<p>Still, I find it encouraging that the effort is being made at all, and the underlying science is just fascinating; especially the idea that <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.lunarpedia.org/index.php?title=Helium" target="_blank">Helium-3</a> isotopes from the lunar regolith would be an ideal fuel. What a fine reason to continue the international cooperation surrounding ITER and begin a Star Trek-like push into space to colonize the moon.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.iter.org/img/resize-300-90/www/content/com/Lists/WebsiteText/Attachments/7/jet_tokamak_plasma_overlay_1.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://www.iter.org/img/resize-300-90/www/content/com/Lists/WebsiteText/Attachments/7/jet_tokamak_plasma_overlay_1.jpg"/></a></p> Wouldn't it be simpler, Sam -…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-12:1982180:Comment:12726612013-03-12T05:29:22.998Zarchaeopteryxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/xn/detail/u_2gskiyna07rt3
<p>Wouldn't it be simpler, Sam - assuming we don't destroy the planet LONG before the expanding sun has the opportunity - to use those 5 billion years to just relocate? I mean, that's a LOT of time --</p>
<p>Wouldn't it be simpler, Sam - assuming we don't destroy the planet LONG before the expanding sun has the opportunity - to use those 5 billion years to just relocate? I mean, that's a LOT of time --</p> Perhaps figure out a way to s…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-12:1982180:Comment:12724672013-03-12T05:17:33.637ZReal Life James Bondhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Skeptic1122
Perhaps figure out a way to support hydrogen fusion in the sun's core (I believe it's hydrogen fusion, I could be wrong) so as it doesn't expand into a red giant and destroy the earth. Good thing we have another 5 billion years to do this :)
Perhaps figure out a way to support hydrogen fusion in the sun's core (I believe it's hydrogen fusion, I could be wrong) so as it doesn't expand into a red giant and destroy the earth. Good thing we have another 5 billion years to do this :) @Brazillian Atheist - speakin…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-11:1982180:Comment:12719752013-03-11T10:59:57.879Zarchaeopteryxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/xn/detail/u_2gskiyna07rt3
<p>@Brazillian Atheist - speaking of everyone getting a decent education, remember the little 15-year old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousef, who was shot in the head because she had been told no girls in school, but she chose to go anyway? There is a petition out, at <a href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/malalahopenew/?aXQmmeb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://secure.avaaz.org/en/malalahopenew/?aXQmmeb</a>, in an attempt to get a million signatures from around the world, to try to get the…</p>
<p>@Brazillian Atheist - speaking of everyone getting a decent education, remember the little 15-year old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousef, who was shot in the head because she had been told no girls in school, but she chose to go anyway? There is a petition out, at <a rel="nofollow" href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/malalahopenew/?aXQmmeb" target="_blank">https://secure.avaaz.org/en/malalahopenew/?aXQmmeb</a>, in an attempt to get a million signatures from around the world, to try to get the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan to offer education to all of Pakistan's girls.</p>
<p>I've been watching it closely, and of all the countries from which people have signed it, there have been more Brazilians than any other country - you guys down there rock! No wonder you're from Porto Alegre!</p>
<p>If you haven't signed it yet, please do, and that goes for anyone else too - we're almost there!</p> What shall we do for the next…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-11:1982180:Comment:12720952013-03-11T10:04:10.440ZBrazillian atheisthttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/iprefertostayanonnymous
<blockquote><p>What shall we do for the next 10,000 years?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Well, if we, humans, don't wipe us out of the face of the planet, we <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">might</span></strong> learn that we must stop destroying the planet and killing each other, and start to change the way we live, and how our society works...</p>
<p>Maybe in this period of 10.000 years we can get rid of the present day religions. But i doubt that religion would cease to exist…</p>
<blockquote><p>What shall we do for the next 10,000 years?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Well, if we, humans, don't wipe us out of the face of the planet, we <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">might</span></strong> learn that we must stop destroying the planet and killing each other, and start to change the way we live, and how our society works...</p>
<p>Maybe in this period of 10.000 years we can get rid of the present day religions. But i doubt that religion would cease to exist because humans tend to think and want to believe that there has to be more then here an when someone gives them something to believe in, that at least at first impression seems to be what they are looking for, they will immediately grab it. Hopefully, religion might be something of the minority. But that will only be possible if everyone gets a decent education, on all aspects</p> @ Obfuskation ,
I'm hoping fo…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-11:1982180:Comment:12720362013-03-11T07:33:41.785ZGregg R Thomashttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GreggRThomas
<p>@ <a href="http://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=1d9jh1tv026uk" class="fn url">Obfuskation</a> ,</p>
<blockquote><p>I'm hoping for a high-protein, no-fat, pepperjack cheese. Sounds like a step in the right direction.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And I'm just waiting for my Soylent Green order to arrive from Amazon.com. :D</p>
<p></p>
<p>@ <a href="http://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=1d9jh1tv026uk" class="fn url">Obfuskation</a> ,</p>
<blockquote><p>I'm hoping for a high-protein, no-fat, pepperjack cheese. Sounds like a step in the right direction.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And I'm just waiting for my Soylent Green order to arrive from Amazon.com. :D</p>
<p></p> Beware of unintended conseque…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-10:1982180:Comment:12716552013-03-10T23:24:32.282ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Beware of unintended consequences. </p>
<p>Beware of unintended consequences. </p> It's a thought experiment. Wh…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-10:1982180:Comment:12716512013-03-10T23:08:28.623ZStutzhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Stutz
<p>It's a thought experiment. What would happen if we had a relatively unlimited supply of energy in the distant future? Can we work toward this, technologically? Sure, why not?</p>
<p>I don't see any reason to poo-poo it as utopian. It's not about social engineering. It's not political. It's not a rejection of current realities. </p>
<p>It's a thought experiment. What would happen if we had a relatively unlimited supply of energy in the distant future? Can we work toward this, technologically? Sure, why not?</p>
<p>I don't see any reason to poo-poo it as utopian. It's not about social engineering. It's not political. It's not a rejection of current realities. </p> Oh what a wonderful thought,…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-03-01:1982180:Comment:12662052013-03-01T16:53:50.125ZJudith van der Rooshttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Judith_van_der_Roos
Oh what a wonderful thought, i wonder how my guide dog would fair in low gravity environment, and the cats would be amusing to watch !
Oh what a wonderful thought, i wonder how my guide dog would fair in low gravity environment, and the cats would be amusing to watch ! It's probably got to be plagu…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-27:1982180:Comment:12650962013-02-27T02:44:23.031ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>It's probably got to be plague or war, then. It's not like it's a very practical idea to take the birth control approach.</p>
<p>It's probably got to be plague or war, then. It's not like it's a very practical idea to take the birth control approach.</p>